Mrs. Henson continues to be a force in leadership even after her retirement from a 33 ½ year career in teaching with the Clay County Public School system. She remains in service to our region through such roles as Trustee for the University of the Cumberlands and as a long-standing board member of CVADD (Cumberland Valley Area Development District). Cookie has also served on EKU’s Board of Regents from 2001-2004 and she was appointed to the state board of KHSAA (KY High School Athletic Association) where she served for 8 years.
Cookie received both her Master’s degree and her Rank 1 Certification from Union College. Before that, she obtained her undergraduate degree in teaching from Cumberland College (now University of the Cumberlands). When it came time to assign her to a school district for student teaching in 1974 there was no school system within a 100 mile radius that would allow her to do student teaching due to extreme racial discrimination that still existed well after desegregation. An exception was made to allow her to return to her own school system of Clay County to complete her student teaching. Even after graduation with a teaching certificate in hand she was unable to secure a teaching job in her own or any nearby school system. Through her resilience, she found an opportunity in Knoxville, where she worked at Tennessee School for the Deaf for several years before returning home, being among the first four teachers of color to be hired in the integrated Clay County School System- more than twenty years after school desegregation. She continued to teach at Clay County High School throughout her career.
Cookie has been a member of Lyttleton Baptist Church for 33 years. She and her husband, McCoy, have been married for 43 years and they have one adult daughter, McKesha.
Cookie brings much expertise and wisdom to our board for many reasons, including her vast board experience with various organizations and her many years as an educator in our local school system.
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